Sephiroth a Jenova
by jessara40k
Summary: Fairy tale AU. Sephiroth has been imprisoned in a high tower by the sorcerer Hojo for as long as he can remember. The knight-adept Cloud has been searching for the cause of the attacks by a creature known as the Silver Demon and comes across the tower.
1. Chapter 1

"Sephiroth a Jenova, let down your hair." He started moving before Hojo-sensei had finished speaking; compelled into action by the sound of his name, Sephiroth picked up the basket he used to take the weight of his hair and moved to the unglazed window where he heaved it out to fall in a tangled mass to the ground. Hojo-sensei used Sephiroth's hair to scale the sorcerously smooth tower and climbed in through the window, moving past him to inspect one of the objects Sephiroth never managed to see clearly, no matter how he tried.

"Brush your hair out for me." It was going to be one of _those_ visits then. Sephiroth shivered as he pulled the last of his hair back through the window.

"Yes Hojo-sensei." No need to try and repack it into the basket at once, and Sephiroth plucked his hair brush from the table as he settled on the window seat. "Should I braid it afterwards?" That would let him coil it up more easily, and into less space, without creating any more tangles, but he wasn't allowed to do more than wash and brush his hair without specific permission. Permission Hojo-sensei only ever granted on _those_ visits.

"Yes, well thought my boy." Hojo-sensei had a self-satisfied smirk on his face, and Sephiroth kept his head bowed as he worked on the very end of his hair to hide whatever feelings were showing on his face. Did Hojo-sensei think he was an idiot? "Have you finished the kitsune tapestry?"

"Yes Hojo-sensei, it's in the empty room." Sephiroth hated going into it, but he always had to make sure the serving _things_ had displayed his work properly - Hojo-sensei had been furious the one time he hadn't. He didn't want to think about that, so he focused on his hair, brushing the mud from the last foot before working slowly up to his scalp. When he glanced up for a moment Hojo-sensei had left the room, and he relaxed a bit before returning to brushing his hair, getting all the leaves and twigs caught in it out. Eventually he finished brushing his hair, and began braiding it, grateful that Hojo-sensei hadn't returned yet, and then he removed the hair from his brush, putting it aside to wash and spin later.

Hojo-sensei hadn't returned yet, but he'd left a pile of papers - probably Sephiroth's next project. He was curious, but he knew better than to look at _anything_ Hojo-sensei left without explicit permission, so he picked up his current personal project, knowing that he'd likely have to put it aside soon. Hojo-sensei liked seeing him in clothes he'd embroidered himself so this dragon was destined to become the front of a tunic...and probably wouldn't be finished for a long time. So he might as well get some more done while he waited for Hojo-sensei's return, before he was given something new that he had to work on for his master.

"What are you working on now my boy?"

"Winged dragon." He parked his needle and lifted his embroidery, shaking it out to display it to Hojo-sensei. He was using raised knots for most of the dragon, to give the impression of scales, he hoped, with satin stitch for the wing membranes and the back ridge to imitate webbing.

"It's well done. Your own design?" Hojo-sensei lifted the fabric from Sephiroth's hands as he spoke, to examine it more closely.

"More or less Hojo-sensei." He'd taken inspiration from one of the pictures in the references Hojo-sensei had given him for an earlier tapestry, but he'd had to adapt it and drawn out that adaptation in case he was interrupted.

"I want you to weave some ribbons for me...the specifications are here, and the materials you'll need are waiting for you. Do you need anything for your own work?" He handed the embroidery back as he spoke, more careless of it than Sephiroth might have liked, but not enough to do any damage - for example by dislodging the needle.

"Not right now, Hojo-sensei." Sephiroth carefully put his work away, reaching for the papers he'd noticed earlier, now that Hojo-sensei had confirmed he was to work from them.

"You don't need to look through those now my boy. I'll give you time for that before I leave."

"You intend to stay overnight then Hojo-sensei?" Sephiroth glanced over to the window, judging that there was no more than three hours until dusk, maybe less.

"Yes, I do. Come, my boy." Sephiroth let Hojo-sensei help him to his feet, and followed him to his bedroom, unbraiding his hair and lying down for his master when commanded, grateful when Hojo-sensei had finished taking his pleasure and he could go to sleep.

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It was still dark when Sephiroth woke, but Hojo-sensei was still sleeping, and had hold of him, so he lay still, trying not to disturb his master's rest. He wondered how long Hojo-sensei intended to stay today, and hoped it would be long enough to answer any questions Sephiroth had about those ribbons he wanted, but knew that he would have no influence over that. At least he'd have someone to talk to until Hojo-sensei left, even if he never had any real control over what they spoke about.

"Are you awake, my boy?" His master's arm tightened possessively around Sephiroth as he spoke.

"Yes Hojo-sensei."

"Good. Shiroi!" With that command the magical light brightened at once, instead of waiting until dawn outside. "Brush your hair while I shower, then wash it." Hojo-sensei patted Sephiroth's hip as he got out of bed, and Sephiroth let himself stretch out fully before reaching for a brush to obey. It didn't take as long as it had yesterday; this time it was just tangled from a night in the same bed as his master, and the only thing caught in it was dried seed. Once Hojo-sensei had returned he went to wash his hair, wishing that his master would think to provide some way to make this less of a chore. Of course many of the things Hojo-sensei had done to reduce Sephiroth's chores replaced them with minor, and sometimes not so minor, torments - especially when Sephiroth had presumed to make such a request.

For instance the sorcerous creation that carried his hair for him while it was wet never could adapt to his pace; even though he was careful to move slowly and at a steady pace it kept falling back, and tugging at his hair, then scurrying forward until it almost draped against the floor between them. It was always a relief to reach his bedroom when his hair was wet, and with Hojo-sensei here he didn't have to go immediately to the device his master had created to dry his hair rapidly. Instead he knelt, bowing his head and letting the construct deal with keeping his hair from touching the floor as he waited for his master to acknowledge him.

"Sephiroth, come here my boy." He didn't need to reply, simply obeyed, coming to curl up by his master on the bed, submitting as Hojo-sensei pulled him against his body. Hojo-sensei pulled at his hair, doing something that Sephiroth couldn't see behind him - then he cut some of Sephiroth's hair off, letting the clippings fall to the floor. Sephiroth shut his eyes when Hojo-sensei began stroking his hair, enjoying the gentle touch that dried his hair, and wondering how much Hojo-sensei had cut off this time. Eventually Hojo-sensei released him and he knelt to collect the clippings before piling his hair into the basket and following his master to breakfast.

"You can read those while you're eating." The specifications for the ribbons Hojo-sensei wanted had been put on the table where Sephiroth would be sitting.

"Thank you Hojo-sensei." He served himself a bowl of porridge and fruit before picking up the first piece of paper; the one that summarised his master's requirements. He'd have to use a loom, and his master wanted a simple check woven into the ribbons, followed up with a series of runes embroidered in white on each ribbon - the patterns for those would be on subsequent pages. And Hojo-sensei had provided three shades of silk cocoons, which Sephiroth would have to reel, throw and maybe ply to make the thread to weave and embroider - he wanted it kept virgin, unbleached and undyed which explained why Sephiroth would have to do everything himself.

"If I might ask, Hojo-sensei?"

"Go ahead my boy."

"You haven't given me a time frame for these, does that mean I can take as long as I need to get it right?" Or did he just forget to write it down? The time limits had always been in the summary sheet before.

"I'll expect the first ribbon to be ready within ten days at the very most, but perfection is far more important than speed - and you cannot simply undo an error to correct it - I'll want you to discard the whole thing if you make the slightest mistake."

"I understand, but in that case it might take longer. I do not believe I can maintain such a state of concentration for extended periods." Hojo-sensei _had_ been generous in the time allotted, but if he had to discard a ribbon due to a mistake in embroidering the runes...

"If it isn't ready when I ask for it I expect you to show me _all_ the mistakes in your earlier efforts."

"Yes Hojo-sensei." He'd have to spend today reeling as much of the silk as he had racks for, then start throwing it tomorrow. At least he'd have time for his own work while the glue was dissolving and the silk was drying. "Ah...how much extra materials did you obtain?"

"Ten times what you should need for the darker shades, only eight times for the pure white." The more expensive shade, even if Sephiroth wasn't sure why he was certain of that. "Will you need more than that my boy?"

"I don't think so, Hojo-sensei." He'd be as careful as he knew how to be, and break as soon as he felt his concentration wavering.

"Good."

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Cloud _still_ wasn't entirely convinced this was a good idea, that he'd even be able to find the source of the attacks by the silver demon, but he _knew_ that no one else was willing to even search for it, and that he couldn't be everywhere. He'd dealt with more attacks than any of Zack's other knights - somehow he was often in the right place to face the silver demon and banish it soon enough after it manifested that there were survivors to question. The Earth Lady thought it had something to do with his affinity for the Star Lady, and Cloud wasn't going to argue with Aeris on that sort of thing - doing that was a fast track to being banished from the Court, or worse, being given accelerated training in the Arts and tied to the temples for months or years. Cloud _liked_ being a knight-adept; he'd probably rather be a plain knight, but leaving potential untapped was a recipe for disaster, and he had more freedom as a knight-adept than he would if he became a knight-magus or a knight-wizard.

He shook his head, dismissing his wandering thoughts and looked around for somewhere to hide and keep a watch on the tower. This _had_ to be the place that greasy sorcerer he'd heard about came to visit so regularly; there wasn't anywhere else around within two days walk, he was known in the area - the peasants called him Hojo-sensei, an almost aggressively foreign name, and most of the locals had seen him leaving towards the tower at some point. Cloud couldn't risk using magic to improve his hiding place, not when he was waiting for a sorcerer. But maybe it was worth the risk of using a minor spell to _find_ a hiding place?

He took a deep breath and knelt, resting his hand on the soil and opening himself to the world around him. The impact of his Lady's feelings knocked him even from his relatively stable position, and he found himself collapsed to the ground trying to sort through it all when she retreated. He was in the right place, at least as far as the Star Lady was concerned, and there was someone or something precious to Her trapped in that tower. The...enemy? It was probably this Hojo-sensei, given that he'd gotten the feeling this man owned the tower and was holding this precious thing captive there, but there'd been a whole mass of confused and often conflicting emotions associated with him. Anyway, what was clear was that he'd sworn himself to the Star Queen, and Cloud could sense magic tasting of Her power flaring out from the tower, to almost saturate the atmosphere around it. And somehow he was sure that if he could find somewhere to hide _close_ enough to the tower and invoked the Star Lady's aid and protection She would be able to reinforce his camouflage, and keep the sorcerer from detecting her influence in all of Jenova's power.

There was a walled garden around the tower; maybe Cloud could find some sort of nook he could hide in there? It was the best option he could see at the moment anyway, and the Star Lady had warned him not to use any power beyond calling on Her; his training would draw power more from Aeris, or her mother, the Earth Queen, than from Lucrecia, and it seemed that sort of power _would_ be noticed no matter how little he used. He approached the wall slowly, using what little cover he could find to try and avoid being seen from the tower - even if he suspected it was futile, that anyone who was watching from the tower would be able to see him, he had reason to believe that no-one in the tower would betray him.

The walled garden wasn't locked, making things a little easier for Cloud, and he slipped in through a side door, to find himself in a small grove of fruit trees. Looking back Cloud could see that the door probably wasn't used very often, as the grass under his feet was thick and healthy, and the climber on the wall had started to grow over the frame, although it hadn't reached the door just yet. He found a hiding place among the trees and opened himself to the Star Lady before settling down to wait.

"Sephiroth a Jenova, lower your hair." A mass of tangled metallic silver hair fell down some four times the height of a man from the large window facing towards the main gate. Cloud watched as the ugly man - the sorcerer - with greasy black hair climbed up the tower using the hair as a rope. He didn't know enough about the sorcerer's skill or power level to risk facing him - especially not as it had to be pretty high to have saturated the area with the Star Queen's power as he had - so Cloud just watched and waited for the man to leave. When he did Cloud reminded himself of all the reasons he should _wait_ before trying to get into the tower with that phrase, to counter the sense of urgency the Star Lady was pressing on him.

Best of all would be to wait for another day, or more, take the time to see what sort of pattern this Hojo-sensei had in his visits, but he didn't have _time_ for that, even if the Star Lady hadn't been pushing for a rapid entry. He'd promised to contact Aeris sometime today, tomorrow or the day after, and if he didn't have anything to report he was afraid Zack might decide he'd had long enough to search and have Aeris convey an order to return given how reluctant he'd been to approve Cloud's suggestion.

Hojo-sensei wasn't as distant as Cloud would have liked, but there was a good chance that he wouldn't hear Cloud calling up even without the help the Star Lady was promising to mask his voice from anyone outside the tower. And with her urgency riding him, despite his efforts to close his mind to her, Cloud found that he couldn't really wait any longer, so he came out of his hiding place and approached the tower.

"Sephiroth a Jenova, lower your hair." The idea of actually climbing up someone's hair was rather disturbing, so Cloud distracted himself by musing on that name. Who would presume to name their daughter for the Star Queen? Or sleep with a woman who called herself Jenova for that matter? Starflame! How could _any_ woman survive using that name, given the Star Queen's disdain for mere humans? He didn't really want to think about the other alternative; that this Sephiroth was _old_, the Star Queen's daughter from before she came into her full power.

The _man_ standing near the window, letting Cloud climb up his hair, looked a lot like the silver demon. But the silver demon always had a look of blind fury on its face, and for all that it fought intelligently, it could often be diverted from its target long enough for the people to escape, and if you got it far enough away from the target it would just disappear even if you couldn't banish it. _This_ man had a look of surprise and fear on his face, and the Star Lady's pleasure hummed along Cloud's bones.

"Did you take me from Hojo-sensei?"

"Take you?" Did that mean that this man was a slave?

"Hojo-sensei has never allowed anyone else to come here." The man began pulling his hair up from the window as he spoke, still watching Cloud with a wary tension. "I thought maybe you had killed him, transferring my ownership to you."

"I...no. Do you want me to?" Why had he said that? He didn't have the time to go on a quest to save this stranger, no matter how much he wanted to - and for no reason that he could see. Unless...he focused on his awareness of the Star Lady, lowering his defences to improve his perception, and found that she'd been subtly influencing him to feel positively towards and attracted to this man.

"I don't know." The man had hesitated before answering, so Cloud could pay attention to what he said, instead of being distracted by finding the Star Lady's influence. "You look like the saviour I've dreamed of - no, they were more than dreams, but I don't know _how_, and I just pray those dreams were prophecy, and the dreams of destroying villages with fire and sword something else." He'd managed to get all of his hair back inside as he finished speaking, and immediately began piling it into a basket.

"Tell me about the dreams of destroying villages. Please." He regretted his demand when he saw how the other man almost flinched, and he realised that he hadn't even bothered to introduce himself. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm on a mission to discover the source of some very real attacks - like the ones you mentioned dreaming about. I am Cloud e Lana, knight-adept of the court of Zack y Aeris, chosen consort of the Earth Lady. Might I ask your name?"

"But...you already know my name. You used it to compel your entrance." The man - _Sephiroth_ was almost shaking, and Cloud just didn't know what to make of the expression on his face. "Please, don't repeat it. I'm geased to offer my hair as a climbing net whenever I hear my full name spoken."

"I won't then, but...you really claim the Star Queen as your mother?" He wasn't going to touch the whole female part - although Sephiroth _was_ dressed more like a woman than a man, a woman or a concubine. And the Star Lady was projecting an angry denial into his mind as well as an odd sense of possession.

"The Star Queen? Who is she?" Sephiroth looked confused, confused and more than a little pleased.

"She's one of the goddesses, one who doesn't like humans very much. And the Star Lady, my patron goddess seems to be telling me that you aren't Jenova's child. Sephiroth, please, I _need_ to know about those dreams."

"If that is what you wish. Can we sit down first though?"

"Of course." Cloud followed Sephiroth over to a pair of chairs, and listened as Sephiroth told him about nightmares where he was destroying villages for no reason, unable to think through an irrational rage, and sometimes facing a warrior of some sort - often one who looked like Cloud in his most recent dreams.

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	2. Chapter 2

Sephiroth lowered his eyes to the dragon he was working on as he finished explaining his dreams to the man who he was sure had appeared in them so often, and focused on that as he waited for a reaction. Would Cloud be the saviour he'd longed for, had almost been promised by his better dreams? Or had those _other_ dreams been real in some strange sense, and had Cloud come to kill him in answer to the crimes he'd dreamed?

"I'd like to check what spells are bound to you, to confirm that the silver demon is a sending of you, and not something else." But Cloud didn't seem to do anything, just waited, with a slight frown growing on his face, and Sephiroth slowly realised that the man was _waiting for permission_.

"Please, go ahead. I know there are a lot of spells tied to me, even if I'm only certain about what a few of them do." The ones that impacted his daily life, such as the compulsion to offer his hair as a climbing aid on hearing his full name.

"Would you like me to tell you about the ones I can recognise?" Cloud stood and moved to stand in front of him as he spoke, and Sephiroth put his embroidery aside, waiting for the knight-adept to do whatever he needed to.

"I...you don't need to tell me about spells that affect how I live from day to day. I know I can't do more than wash or brush my hair without permission for example." And he had to spend at least an hour every day climbing up and down the stairs of the tower, usually carrying the basket with his hair above his head. "But if it would please you to tell me about the others I would be grateful." He didn't know if there was anything he could do to show his gratitude, but he smiled up at Cloud as he spoke. Cloud just nodded and reached down to cup the side of his face, the focus leaving his eyes and an almost spooky blankness coming over his face.

"Interesting. Yes, there are a lot of spells bound to you, but the most powerful ones are also tied to something else, some other focus..." He trailed off, frowning as he seemed to listen to something Sephiroth couldn't hear. "And it's connected to the Star Lady as well somehow."

"The Star Lady?" He realised he'd spoken aloud, interrupting Cloud, and bowed his head with a whispered apology, half expecting the other man to punish him somehow.

"She's my patron goddess." Cloud sounded annoyed to have to repeat himself, but Sephiroth still didn't understand what it meant, or even what a goddess was. His confusion must have shown somehow, even though he had hidden his face, because Cloud's voice gentled a little as he continued. "The Queens and the Ladies are paired goddesses, usually mother and daughter, although not always, and sometimes you get a Queen without a Lady, like the Sun Queen, Quetza." Cloud paused, tilting Sephiroth's face back up, sounding puzzled as he continued. "They're where the power for all the greater magics come from. You didn't know that? Or that your name claims the Star Queen as your mother?"

"No, I didn't." Sephiroth wanted to shake his head, but Cloud's fingers on his chin held him motionless. "Hojo-sensei never talked about his magic, and what few spells I can use are all minor enough that I can power them from my own body and soul." Household and personal appearance spells mostly, even if he did prefer to tend to his hair and clean himself up without them. "I...don't remember anything but being in this tower, looking like this. I knew that my mother had to be called Jenova, but nothing beyond that."

"I see. Sometimes there's other reasons besides power to call on one of the Ladies or even on one of the Queens, but that doesn't really matter right now I guess. We'll ignore the compulsions and prohibitions that are just tied to you - they seem to be day to day stuff, like you said. There's two old spells - or the decaying remnants of them anyway - tied just to you. One's a personality alteration spell - and it might have been tied to that other focus I mentioned as well, I just can't tell. The other's a memory wipe." Sephiroth wasn't sure how to react to that, and suddenly he wasn't really sure he _wanted_ to hear about the rest of the spells - just those two were scary enough as it was, the rest might be even worse.

"What does it mean that there's 'decaying remnants' of these spells?" It had sounded as if Cloud thought that was important somehow.

"First that the spells have run their course, so I couldn't reverse them even if those remnants weren't there to interfere, but more importantly it means that the spells didn't dissipate when they finished, so it will be pretty much impossible for anyone to reverse them."

"Oh, I see." He wasn't sure he'd even _want_ the personality changes - whatever they'd been - to be reversed, but it would have been nice to remember what his life had been like before the tower. "I...did you get the confirmation you wanted?"

"That the silver demon's a sending of you? Yes. And it has access to skills you should have but can't use yourself. This is the first set of spells tied to the other focus I mentioned...destroying that other focus should be enough to eliminate the sending, but I'm not sure what it will do to the skills that have been blocked." Cloud released Sephiroth's chin and moved to sit back down, a distant look on his face, while Sephiroth wondered absently if he should feel more than a slight annoyance at losing skills he must have worked hard to gain at some time, even if he couldn't remember possessing them.

"Are there other 'sets' of spells tied to this other focus? And how can you be certain that each set isn't tied to a different second focus?"

"There's one more set of spells; a slavery spell-set including a power-tap. There's also some additional spells that I can't identify, each tied individually to the second focus. And I wouldn't be certain they all shared the same secondary focus if the Star Lady hadn't confirmed it for me."

"Oh, I see." That seemed to imply that anything this Star Lady allowed Cloud to know was beyond question, and Sephiroth had to accept the knight-adept's assessment of the matter. "Is there anything else you need to ask of me?"

"If you don't mind I'd like to hear a bit about those other dreams you mentioned, the ones where you dreamed of some sort of saviour? And...did you ever have any other sort of dreams that seemed significant?" Sephiroth wanted to avert his eyes, rather than meet the knight-adept's gaze, and he could feel heat rising in his cheeks at Cloud's attention, for some strange reason.

"Yes, I did. Which would you like to hear about first? The dreams I always hoped were of my future, or the ones that felt like the long distant past?" He couldn't keep from glancing at his embroidery as he spoke, wondering if it would offend Cloud if he took it up again.

"Feel free to work on your sewing while you talk, and the Star Lady seems to think I need to know about your dreams of the past more than the prescient ones." Cloud was talking as if it was a given that the dreams that had offered Sephiroth hope were accurate, and somehow Sephiroth couldn't bring himself to doubt the man.

oo08080oo

Three types of true dreams then; prescient, linked semi-clairvoyant and limited ancestral. Cloud hadn't ever heard of anyone having more than one type, but he couldn't deny the evidence. Although they all might stop when Cloud destroyed the secondary focus given what Sephiroth had explained of their contents, either from the sending, or all about freeing him from the spells binding him.

"Thank you." He smiled at the oddly vulnerable man in front of him. "I realise that telling me all this must have been hard for you, but I think I can find and destroy that secondary focus I mentioned, freeing you, and destroying the silver demon."

"You can?" The disbelief in Sephiroth's voice wasn't particularly flattering, but Cloud couldn't blame the man for his doubts. "I...it isn't just the spells that keep me here."

"Is that window the only way in or out then?" He wasn't going to tell Sephiroth that there wasn't actually any prohibition against him leaving this place - because all Cloud knew about was the spells, and then only the ones tied to Sephiroth, it could easily be an order keeping him imprisoned or a spell on the tower itself.

"Yes, it is. Or at least it's the way Hojo-sensei always comes in and leaves. I don't know how the serving constructs get food in, or how he gets the larger pieces I make for him out." Sephiroth blinked, and frowned slightly. "I can order the constructs to prepare a meal for two if you wish? Hojo-sensei won't notice that, or pay any attention to it."

"That seems rather careless of him, but if you are certain it is safe for you I'd appreciate it. But...I need to contact the Earth Lady soon, can you show me to a small room I can use for that?"

"Of course, is there anything in particular that you need in the room?" Sephiroth put his embroidery aside as he spoke.

"No, just privacy and a chair, or failing that a cushion to kneel on."

"Yes, I can do that. I'll show you a room, then go and deal with the constructs." He stood, lifting the basket he'd put his hair in and moved towards the door, glancing nervously at Cloud as he followed. "You won't be disturbed in here, if this is suitable?"

"Yes, this is perfect." The room was smaller than the one he'd entered by, but there was plenty of light coming in through the window taking up nearly all of the outside wall. The walls were lined with bookshelves, but otherwise it was empty and there was a pile of cushions on the window seat. "Do you spend much time in here?"

"No, I only come in here to find references, then I read them elsewhere. That won't be a problem, will it?" Cloud really didn't like the hint of anxiety in Sephiroth's posture, and he smiled reassuringly, putting one hand on his arm in an effort to soothe the other man.

"No, that's just fine. I just wondered. Should I come back to the room we were just in when I'm finished?"

"Please." Sephiroth hesitated, briefly biting his lower lip, before nodding and turning to leave. Cloud frowned, before reluctantly dismissing his concerns about the man and settling down on the window seat. He pulled out the flower Aeris had prepared for him before he left and held it cradled in both hands as he began to meditate, waiting for the Earth Lady to have the spare attention to deal with him.

'_Hello Cloud. You need me to relay to Zack for you, or do you think reporting to me will be enough?'_ He thought he had enough progress to show that Zack wouldn't order his return, and that he wouldn't need to argue for the opportunity to continue.

'_I don't think we need to bother him, not if he's busy. I found one source of the attacks by the silver demon: it's a sending, as we thought, and I found the man it's modelled off. But...he's bound by so many spells, and I can't bring myself to kill him.'_ He didn't think Zack would order him to do that either, not when Sephiroth was such an innocent, despite his name. Besides given the implications Cloud wasn't sure that killing him wouldn't invoke the Star Queen's wrath - and he was _certain_ the Star Lady would be displeased with him if he murdered Sephiroth. _'I checked the spells on him, some are beyond my knowledge, and if you are willing I could share my results with you?'_

'_Please.'_

Cloud bundled all the information his scan had revealed up into a mental package and offered it up for Aeris to take. _'I'm almost certain destroying the secondary focus will be enough to destroy the silver demon.'_

'_Yes, I agree. I'll let Zack know your intentions. Do you think you need any additional information about the spells tied to the secondary focus?'_

'_Only if one is a tripwire.'_ He didn't think that destroying the secondary focus would harm Sephiroth, or warn Hojo-sensei, at least not based on what little he had been able to recognise of the strange spells. There could be a warning spell tied only to the secondary focus of course, but that wouldn't affect Sephiroth. _'I believe the Star Lady is influencing my feelings about Sephiroth a Jenova, the source of the sendings. And he's been having dreams of me as a saviour that I believe she sent.'_

'_I see. Lucrecia is mysterious, even to me, and rather erratic, but she is far less destructive than Jenova is. Accept her guidance. Do you need any further aid?'_

'_No Aeris, I do not.'_ That seemed to be enough for her, and Cloud could feel her disengaging from his mind. He opened his eyes, blinking slowly as he came back to awareness of the outside world, and realised that it was late in the afternoon, so he put the flower away and went in search of Sephiroth - easy enough as he knew where the man would be.

"Do you mind if I stay here overnight, and leave to search out the secondary focus in the morning?" He needed the time to plan how to _find_ the secondary focus as well - Sephiroth's dreams hadn't given him quite enough information to go on.

"Of course not Cloud." Sephiroth looked up from his embroidery with a smile. "Is there anything else I can do to aid you?"

Cloud considered the question seriously; it would be a _lot_ easier to track down the secondary focus if he had something to act as a symbolic stand-in for Sephiroth to use to follow the link between them, but he hadn't brought any blank fetishes to charge with blood, and Sephiroth couldn't give him a lock of hair.

"Not right now. I need to design a spell to find the secondary focus, and perhaps you can help me when I cast it, but for now I just need to think." That seemed to satisfy Sephiroth and he went back to his embroidery.

oo08080oo

Sephiroth was careful about how he looked at Cloud over the last of the afternoon, restricting himself to sidelong glances and trying to hide his speculation about the knight. It was just as well he was only working on one of his own pieces, rather than one of Hojo-sensei's ribbons, he reflected when the bell rang, calling them to eat, as he might well have to remove every stitch he'd done on the wing since Cloud had arrived - that or add in additional stitches to provide proper coverage.

"Cloud?" He waited until the knight looked at him before he continued. "That bell indicates that our meal is being served. I need to show you to the dining room."

"They're not just bringing it here?" Cloud frowned as he stood, glancing over at Sephiroth's design table.

"No, I don't want to risk food getting on my work." Even if it was just one of his personal projects right now and not something Hojo-sensei had ordered from him.

"Oh, right. That makes sense. Sorry, I wasn't thinking." Sephiroth couldn't quite hide his surprise at the apology, and a look of disapproval crossed Cloud's face, but he didn't say anything, leaving Sephiroth to wonder what he'd done wrong.

They ate in near silence at first; Sephiroth couldn't bring himself to speak again and risk saying the wrong thing, even if Cloud's silence wasn't comforting, the way it had been before. But eventually Cloud seemed to brace himself for something and spoke to him.

"I wondered, do you actually enjoy that embroidery, or is it something you have to do for Hojo-sensei?" Sephiroth blinked at the question, and Cloud shrugged one shoulder with a rueful smile. "Just I know that some of the ladies at court only embroider because it's expected of them, and they're not good enough to devote themselves to magic or become fighters."

"Yes, I enjoy it. It's...soothing, even if I only started learning these crafts because Hojo-sensei commanded me to." Did Cloud want to hear more? It looked as if he did, and Sephiroth began elaborating, relaxing as he realised that Cloud seemed to enjoy hearing him speak about something he really understood and enjoyed. Even if it had sounded as if Cloud didn't think too highly of those skills.

"Ah...have you decided if I can do anything to help you with that spell you said you needed to design?"

"I'm still not sure." Cloud sounded very unhappy to have to admit that, and Sephiroth was grateful he'd waited until they'd finished eating to ask. "Aeris will be furious, and rightly so, that I left on this quest equipped more as a simple knight than as a knight-adept. Had I brought supplies for more than the simplest of magics it would be easy, but I did not, and you cannot give me a lock of hair."

"Is that all you need? I can give you that - I always keep the cuttings when Hojo-sensei decides my hair needs a trim. And...there's something else. I've woven a close fitted tunic and trousers out of thread spun from that. It would function as armour for you if it fits. I think...you said the Star Lady was the one sending me dreams of a saviour?"

"Yes, at least that's what she seems to be telling me. It's hard to be certain with her, even for me, and I'm one of the most attuned to her. She's...a lot more limited in how she can interact with the mortal world than the other Ladies are, because her Queen despises us so greatly."

"Oh." He looked down at the table, wondering if his words would sound presumptuous, but needing to finish his explanation. "Well...I think she guided me in making the tunic and trousers, to fit the saviour she promised me."

"That makes an odd sort of sense, given what your name claims about your ancestry." Cloud stood from the table with a smile. "We could go and see if it fits now. If it does then I can use it as _my_ focus to find the secondary focus - maybe taking a lock of your hair stained with your blood as a back-up. If you don't mind of course." That was obviously an afterthought - not that Sephiroth would have refused Cloud even if he'd been given a real choice, not when the knight was risking himself to free Sephiroth, even if that was only a secondary benefit for him.

"If that will help the of course I will give it to you. If you'll follow me?" He hadn't known where to hide the tunic and trousers, so he'd ended up putting them in with his own clothes in his bedroom, and hoping that Hojo-sensei wouldn't decide to inspect his wardrobe. Cloud stripped as Sephiroth found the clothes he'd woven, and dressed again as he handed the tunic and trousers over to him.

"Feel more comfortable than I'd expected - did you intend to pour magic into them?"

"Magic?" Sephiroth frowned at the question, wondering if it counted that he'd always been pretty much in a trance when he'd worked on them.

"That's a no then." Cloud smiled reassuringly at Sephiroth, reaching up to casually rest a hand against his cheek. "It isn't a problem, and I will definitely be able to use this to find that secondary focus."

"I'm glad." But now that they were here he realised another problem. "I...there's only this bed in the tower, are you comfortable with sharing it with me?"

"As long as you don't mind sharing. But I can sleep on the floor easily enough if it would feel weird to you. I've done it before and I understand if you might be nervous around me." Cloud smiled and shrugged one shoulder as he spoke, before beginning to undress again.

"Nervous? I...you have to be the saviour I was promised - why shouldn't I trust you?" But Cloud's words had created an odd feeling in his stomach, and he was suddenly aware of just how attractive the knight was.

"You don't know me, you have no reason to trust me, and I want you to feel safe." Cloud was dressing again in his own clothes, and Sephiroth fought down a confusing sense of regret.

"I do feel safe, and you need to sleep well tonight."

oo08080oo


	3. Chapter 3

Cloud looked down at the scarlet-clad warrior hed just defeated, feeling an unaccustomed hesitance at the idea of killing him. Normally he wouldnt feel the slightest doubt, would just kill him and start trying to make his way up the mountain of glass and ice, but after meeting Sephiroth he couldnt keep from fearing that this man was another slave. He couldnt afford the energy to check that suspicion though, not when he didnt know what further trials he might face. Maybe he could do that later, after hed freed Sephiroth and destroyed the silver demon.

He disarmed the man, throwing the weapons as far away as he could, then removed his boots, tossing them in the same direction. He had enough rope to hogtie his opponent, and it wouldnt really help him climb the mountain after all. Good job he came from mountain country then, and the ice wasnt quite as good an idea as Hojo-sensei probably thought it was. He took a deep breath and turned to the mountain, looking for the best way up and planning out a couple of alternate routes and points where he could switch between them before beginning to climb.

The climb was actually pretty easy for him - he barely needed any of the small magics of his childhood - but then he had to get into the building on top of the mountain. It was small, and windowless, but at least there was a door. But the Star Queens aura swamped the building so much that he couldnt really tell anything specific, and maybe she had devoted a portion of her attention to monitoring it. Could he risk calling on the Star Lady to help him sense any traps? If he called the right way, just opened himself to her rather than specifically _invoking_ her then he thought he could.

He matched deed to thought, and examined the door visually while he waited to see if the Star Lady would grant him her aid in this. She did, and he was oddly appalled by the carelessness Hojo-sensei had shown at the last - there were _no_ traps at all. Not on the building anyway, and it was a strange relief to open the door to find a curtain of flames encircling the point where he knew the focus had to be.

This really wasnt what hed expected of the focus that bound the declared child of a goddess into slavery. It was a dried, oddly shaped piece of meat with a cord looking a bit like dried gut coming from it, and yet he could _feel_ the Star Ladys approval in his skin. If not for that he might have wondered if Hojo-sensei had created a very elaborate decoy to hide the real focus of those spells from him. He knew flesh and blood made for the very best foci, but the vast majority of such things were deeply evil, enough to cripple their victims, or taint them as well as their users, and Sephiroth had neither been injured, nor tainted from such workings.

And now he could feel the Star Ladys amusement, why...oh! He felt her bring up the memories of Sephiroths dreams of a distant past, where he was a woman, who died shortly after giving birth to a son. Cloud felt his cheeks heating at the thought - that wasnt something that would have occurred to him, but it fitted the legends of how the Star Lady came into existence. Enough wool-gathering. He needed to destroy this thing - but how? This wasnt something hed really studied that much - could it affect Sephiroth if he chose the wrong method? It wouldnt with a normal focus...and it wouldnt with this. According to the Star Lady anyway, but he couldnt do anything other than trust her.

Fire, as intense as he could manage. He needed to reduce the focus to ashes. A jewel or glass bauble he could simply shatter. And had the focus been metal he could have simply melted it. But for this he needed ashes, and so he called up the fire that lay at the heart of the stars, holding it in his hands and feeding it into the focus. And _now_ it was as difficult as hed expected. He could feel the magics imbued in the focus twisting around him, trying to find something to latch on to, but he blocked and ignored them, searching down the bits that fell onto the pedestal, or to the floor, unburned. He needed to be absolutely _certain_ so when he could see no more pieces, he lowered his mental wardings enough to cast a sensing spell to find any that remained.

That was a mistake, and Cloud raised his wardings the moment he sensed those writhing magics trying to lock onto him. But theyd seemed to be dying down, and he gave it a slow count of 500 before cautiously checking again. The magics seemed to have dissipated, and a swift sensing spell confirmed that hed found and destroyed all the pieces of the focus - whatever it might have been to start. Thankfully. He thought he might have enough energy to check if that scarlet warrior was under a slavery spell, but not to create more starfire by himself, and he had the feeling that the Star Lady would not be _able_ to offer him more than the information and almost passive assistance shed provided to date.

oo08080oo

Sephiroths hands clenched in response to the pain washing over him and he shut his eyes against the flood of memories washing through his mind. It was worse than any other pain he could remember, more than physical, as if something was grasping and twisting his very soul. When it finally faded he could feel a distant pain in his right hand, insignificant compared to what hed just endured but very real, and Sephiroth focused on that, trying to feel his own body again. Eventually he felt enough of a connection that he could open his eyes, and he looked down at his needlework with a sense of dismay.

Hed ripped it when he clenched his fists, destroying almost three months of work. It was his dragon, not one of the pieces Hojo-sensei had commanded him to make, but that made its destruction hurt even more - it felt almost as if hed destroyed a piece of himself. He slowly forced his hands open, and hissed softly when he saw the blood staining his work where hed broken the needle and driven the broken pieces into his hand.

He set his needlework aside, planning to see if he could salvage any of it later, and pushed himself to his feet, careful not to put any pressure on his right hand. Then he bent to pick up the basket of his hair, and realised that his regained memories hadnt changed him at all - or at least he didnt think they had. Now wasnt the time for those concerns - he needed to take care of his hand, and _then_ he could try to work out what had just happened and what it had done to him.

It wasnt far to the room with the few medical supplies Hojo-sensei felt he needed in the tower, and since hed managed to avoid pushing the broken needle further into his hand it was a simple matter of pulling them out with tweezers. That started his hand bleeding again, and he swabbed the holes with vodka before rubbing ointment on and wrapping his hand - albeit a little clumsily. But it didnt have to be perfect - it just had to last a few hours for his flesh to heal over properly, instead of around the needle.

He couldnt face his ruined work just yet, so Sephiroth moved to his bedroom and lay down, placing the basket with his hair by his side as he stretched out and shut his eyes. He needed to find out just what his new memories were of, and try to work out how theyd affected him. He didnt feel as if regaining a number of memories had affected his feelings or personality at all, but would he really notice? And if they hadnt changed him, why not? He didnt _think_ a spell that had finished could still work to preserve its effects.

He began sorting through his memories, trying to find the newer ones - but that wasnt right was it, these memories couldnt be really new, just unfamiliar to him, and so he shifted the focus of his search slightly before achieving success. He remembered going through the motions of a...sword drill? Yes, thats what it was called. And the memory was layered, with the implication of doing the same drill so many times that all the memories had combined into one. That probably explained why there was no emotional aspect to the memory as well. Did _any_ of those memories have an emotional context to them? Or anything beyond pure development and refinement of skills? He couldnt tell from the outside, but every new memory he checked until it grew dark outside was as devoid of feeling as the first.

He should probably eat whether he felt like it or not, or hed regret it later, and he stood, taking the basket of his hair with him as he went down to the kitchen to order his meal. It only occurred to him to wonder if he still _needed_ to drag his hair around with him when he reached his work room, and he decided that the easiest test would be to try to braid it - if he couldnt do that he certainly wouldnt have the option of cutting it, and hed need the braided rope to get out of the tower if he was truly free.

He couldnt imagine what he would do if that was the case, but it was a nice thought, and while he brushed out his hair he let himself imagine having the option of refusing to lie with Hojo-sensei, or being free to offer himself to his saviour, the knight-adept Cloud. Except...would he even _want_ Sephiroth? Hed been so good about making sure Sephiroth felt safe when he stayed the night after Sephiroth had offered what little help he could with Clouds quest, but had that been his sense of honour, or simply a lack of interest?

He hoped it was Clouds honour; that the dreams hed had since meeting his saviour might someday become more than just dreams. He let himself remember some of the better dreams, about Cloud pushing him down to the bed, kissing him, and touching him, while encouraging Sephiroth to touch him back. Hed never _wanted_ to touch Hojo-sensei back, and that line of thought was enough to jolt him out of his almost meditative state. Why was he thinking about that now? Hed never been able to really think about how much he hated _those_ visits, the ones where Hojo-sensei stayed overnight and took his pleasure in Sephiroths body. He put that little mystery out of his mind and split his hair into three sections in preparation for braiding it.

He hadnt suffered thus far, but then this was no further than hed been permitted to act even before hed regained so many memories. It was stupid to brace himself against anticipated pain, but Sephiroth did so anyway as he brought the left section over the middle section. It didnt hurt, and he relaxed a little as he brought the right section of his hair over the new middle section, leaving himself unprepared for the pain that flared in his hands, spreading to his wrists and starting to move down his arms from there until he let go of his hair and finger-combed his efforts out.

He put his hands in his lap, letting them relax as he recovered from the pain, and looked down at them with a soft, bitter, laugh. He should have known better than to try that. The rules about his hair were enforced by the day to day spells, the ones that were tied only to him, and couldnt have been affected by a change in masters or by the destruction of that secondary focus. He wished he could find out for himself which of the spells cast on him were still in effect but the spell Cloud had used to detect them in the first place was like nothing in his experience. Or was it? Could he have learned about it before the spells that had made him what he was now?

Probably not. All the new spells that he remembered how to use seemed to be battle spells, to go with the household and personal grooming spells hed learned after being shut in here. Even if he had known a spell like that..._Cloud_ had seemed to have problems interpreting the results, and Sephiroth knew that he understood far less about spellcraft than the knight-adept did. Should he think more respectfully about Cloud? He was certain that he belonged to the knight-adept now, even if he didnt know why he was so sure of that. It would probably be best to wait and see how his new master wanted to be addressed, in case he had specific requirements.

oo08080oo

Cloud wished he didnt have to come back here, that Sephiroth had been able to leave when Cloud destroyed the focus keeping him a slave. But the spells on Sephiroths hair, limiting what he could do with it, werent tied to anything but him. And that meant Sephiroth probably wouldnt be able to leave the tower without Cloud to help him. The Star Lady seemed to agree, and Cloud had the sense that she attached a lot more importance to his failure in keeping his wards up while destroying the focus than he was comfortable with.

Sephiroth a Jenova. He didnt bother calling up with more than the simple name. And it only took a few moments for Sephiroths hair to come tumbling down the wall for him. He didnt expect Sephiroths reaction when he got into the tower though - as soon as he let go of his hair Sephiroth was on his knees, bowing to him, without even taking the time to collect his hair.

Master.

Sephiroth? What was that about? Cloud took a stumbling step backwards in shock. Please, get up. Why do you think...that Im your master?

Because I can acknowledge that I always hated sharing my bed with Hojo-sensei, my previous master, and that I wanted you to do more than merely sleep in my bed the night you shared it with me. I...if I was free what would I do? Wouldnt I have some idea of that if I was anything but a slave still? Please, if you doubt that I am yours then check. Find out what spells remained after you succeeded in your quest.

Yes, that would be a good idea. See how badly hed messed up by letting his warding fall too soon. Sit down then. Please. Sephiroth obeyed at once, and Cloud cupped his hand against the other mans cheek, letting his magic interact with the magic that still veiled Sephiroths own core. The minor spells, tied only to Sephiroth remained, as Cloud had expected, but they were changed slightly, open to his manipulation as they hadnt been before. Hed missed something last time - he didnt know _what_ hed missed, but it had probably been important. At least Aeris would have recorded the results from his last scan so she could help him work out what hed missed. And hed be able to suppress these spells for a while - a good thing, since Sephiroth was right; lowering his wardings had maybe turned him into the secondary focus for the slavery spell-set and certainly identified him as Sephiroths master.

Youre right. He stepped back, feeling an odd reluctance to stop touching Sephiroth. Youd best brush your hair out and braid it. Even if you want me to cut it short Id rather not leave it behind when we leave here - tomorrow. Hed rather leave right now, but it was late enough for that to be a bad idea.

Youre giving me the choice? That looked like real shock on Sephiroths face, then he blushed and bowed his head. Please, forgive me, I didnt mean to doubt you.

Im not angry. Youre allowed to ask questions unless were in a fight or similar situation. And its your hair, so you have the right to decide how you wear it. It would be hard for Sephiroth to travel with his hair like this, but Cloud wouldnt deny him the chance to try. I dont dare try breaking the spells tied just to you until someone with more experience has a look at them.

As you wish. Might I have some time to think about what I want to do with my hair? Sephiroth had started drawing it up before he spoke. And...how should I address you?

Id like an answer before we go to bed. And you can call me Cloud, or is youd feel more comfortable addressing me formally Sir Cloud, or Sir Adept are both equally acceptable. Sephiroth needed to know the formalities anyway since Cloud would have to report in open court, and Zack or Aeris might well want Sephiroth there to answer any questions that Cloud couldnt. Im very close to the Prince - who is the Earth Ladys consort. Until he says otherwise youll need to address Zack as either Your Highness or Prince Zack. And youll need to address Aeris as either Your Divinity, or Earth Lady. Also, you cant use the name a Jenova, not anymore. He shouldnt have been using it to start with, not given what Cloud could deduce about his history unless adoptions among the goddesses worked very differently than those among mere mortals.

Oh, right of course. Hojo-sensei often reminded me that the only reason he let me claim a mother was that no-one would be interacting with me who did not already know what I was. Sephiroth glanced up from under lowered lashes with a flirtatious smile. So, Sephiroth ne Cloud then?

Id rather not. You havent committed some terrible crime, and theres a chance Aeris can find a way to truly free you. But no woman has ever been called Jenova, only the Star Queen carries that name. Shes killed any woman who dares name her daughter so, and the infant as well if she is not renamed within the day.

And you wish to keep my ancestry quiet. As you wish Sir Cloud. What name should I use instead then? The absolute trust in Sephiroths voice, and near adoration showing on his face made Cloud want to shiver, but he couldnt let his unease show.

Theres two real options. The Star Queen has _never_ truly taken a mortal form for more than a few days, or there would be tales of that. The legends about the Star Ladys origin are that she was once a mortal woman named Lucrecia - and thats all we know of her name - who served as the Star Queens avatar in some form while bearing a child. That would make you Sephiroth e Lucrecia. Or if youd rather it would be legitimate for you to carry the name of a foundling taken in by someone affiliated with the Star Queen - Sephiroth le Star. Im not comfortable naming you as mine in any way just yet, but later, if you still wish to carry my name when I qualify as a knight-magus, we can talk about you becoming my consort. Hed have to study more with magic now, and that would give Sephiroth time to decide what he wanted and make a free choice, not a coerced one, even if the coercion was indirect and not of Clouds doing.

I...youre considering keeping me? Why was Sephiroth so surprised by that - surely he knew how beautiful he was, and how powerful, even with that power-tap still in place. And Cloud should have recognised the additional power available to him earlier, except he hadnt needed to use his magic after hed recovered from destroying the secondary focus.

So long as you want me to keep you, and those I must answer to approve. He didnt understand why the Star Ladys pleasure was humming along his bones at his words, but it meant that _she_ probably wouldnt object if he claimed Sephiroth as his consort, which only left Zack and Aeris who could deny his choice.

Please, Cloud, I _want_ to be yours. Sephiroth put his brush down and slid to his knees as he pleaded, one hand coming to rest on Clouds ankle. I dont want to be free, cant imagine being free, and Ive dreamed of being yours for as long as I can remember.

Sephiroth, get up please. He wasnt going to say anything else with Sephiroth in such a supplicating position, and he seemed to get the message before Clouds patience ran out, standing with a natural grace, keeping his head bowed throughout. Youre beautiful, and yes, I want you. More than he should, and he suspected the Star Lady had something to do with that - at least he hoped it was her doing. But I cant be certain you really want me, that it isnt an artefact of the slavery spell-set until the Earth Lady examines the spells that remain on you herself. He simply didnt have the training or the experience to recognise more than the core and power-tap spells in the slavery spell-set. And we really dont know if we could live with each other. He was a court knight, and he might end up as a temple knight, but either way they wouldnt have the space to really avoid each other if he named Sephiroth his consort, then found he had problems with him.

Then youll take me to bed with you once you are certain I want it? Sephiroth glanced up, an expression of such hope on his face that Cloud couldnt refuse him. Not that he really wanted to.

Yes, I will, I promise. He could offer a kiss without taking advantage of Sephiroth and he stretched up on his toes to do so, stroking his cheek as he pulled away. Take care of your hair, then pack a small bag with the things you absolutely cant live without. Remember youll have to carry it for three days, all day, so dont make it too heavy or too large. He hadnt dared bring his horse here, not when there was nowhere to leave him safely at the tower and hed been able to secure stabling and fodder for him at the last village. He wouldnt be able to get another horse there, but they could use Darken as a packhorse until they got somewhere he could buy a horse for Sephiroth.

Yes Cloud. Sephiroth sat down and picked up his brush again. Could you give me some advice on what to pack?

Clothes, and extra socks. If you have any money or jewellery in here you might want to pack that. Ive got food so you dont need to worry about that - or water, although Ill need to refill my canteens before we leave. If you want to pack your hairbrush or toiletries you can, but you wont have the time to tend to your hair properly while were travelling, and I can buy you soap and that sort of thing when you need it. Hed packed far less than he could carry, even with the extra canteens - and Sephiroth would be leaving his whole life behind him now. You should definitely pack all the needles and pins you can find, and if you want to pack a smaller bag with things youd like to bring, but dont think you can carry, I _might_ be able to carry that for you.

Thank you Cloud. Ah...would you be willing to cut my hair to my waist instead of cutting it right off?

Of course, if thats what you want. Why dont you tie your braid off at the length youd like, leave a bit of space then tie it again before you braid the rest?

Yes sir. Sephiroth glanced up with a smile and began working on his braid, without showing any hesitation, or sign of pain. That was what Cloud had been waiting for, and he let himself relax, moving to sit down. Sir Cloud?

Yes Sephiroth? He was careful not to let Sephiroth see how much that formal deference bothered him.

I think Id rather be Sephiroth le Star than e Lucrecia.

Then thats how Ill present you to Zack and Aeris.


End file.
